THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Gospel according to Matthew
Message One—Christ as the Wonderful Center of the Entire Bible
Scripture Reading: Matt. 16:16; 4:16; 9:12, 15-17, 36, 38; 15:26-27; 28:18-19
I. Although the Gospel of Matthew is a book on the kingdom, it is also a revelation of the all-inclusive Christ; it is a great blessing to see the revelation of Christ in this book—Matt. 16:16-17: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
A. Christ is the heavenly King—2:1-2; 21:5: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. Matthew proves that Jesus is the King, the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament—1:1, 17; 2:1-2; 27:11, 37. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. The heavenly King did not come with haughty splendor but with gentle, humble meekness—21:5. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
B. The Lord Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God—16:16: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. The Christ refers to the anointed One of God and speaks of the Lord’s commission to accomplish God’s eternal purpose through His crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and second coming—vv. 21, 27. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. The Son of the living God speaks of His person, which embodies the Father and consummates in the Spirit for a full expression of the Triune God—John 14:10-11a; 1 Cor. 15:45b. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
C. Christ is the Son of Man—Matt. 8:20; 11:19; 13:37; 16:13: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. Christ is the man who brings God’s dominion to earth and makes God’s name excellent on earth—9:6; 12:8; 13:41; 16:27-28. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. In order for the kingdom of the heavens to be established, the Lord Jesus stood as a victorious man—a man who could defeat Satan and withstand any hardship, opposition, or attack—4:4; 12:40; 26:64. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
D. Christ is the Baptizer—3:11: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. The Lord’s baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is based on His redemption, initiated the kingdom of the heavens, bringing His believers into the kingdom of the heavens—v. 12a. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. The Lord’s baptism in fire, which is based on His judgment, will conclude the kingdom of the heavens, putting the unbelievers into the lake of fire—v. 12b. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
E. Christ is the light of life shining in the darkness of death—4:12-16: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. Christ’s ministry for the kingdom of the heavens began not with earthly power but with heavenly light. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. The Lord Jesus did not start a movement or a revolution; rather, He attracted the disciples to Himself as the great light for the establishment of the kingdom of the heavens. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
F. In calling people to follow Him for the kingdom, Christ ministered as a Physician and revealed Himself as the Bridegroom—9:9-15: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. He came as a Physician to heal and enliven us so that we might be reconstituted to be citizens of the kingdom of the heavens—vv. 9-13. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. We need to appreciate Him as the Bridegroom that we might have the enjoyment of living in His presence—vv. 14-15. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
G. Christ is the unfulled cloth for making a new garment—v. 16; Luke 5:36: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. From His incarnation to His crucifixion, He was the unfulled cloth for making a new garment. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. Through His death and resurrection Christ was made a new garment to cover us as our righteousness before God that we might be justified by God and be acceptable to Him—15:22; Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 1:30. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
H. The individual Christ is the new wine, and the corporate Christ is the fresh wineskin—Matt. 9:17: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. The new wine signifies Christ as the new life, full of vigor and cheering strength, stirring us to excitement and satisfying us. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. The fresh wineskin signifies the corporate Christ, the outward container that holds the new wine—1 Cor. 12:12. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
I. Christ is the Shepherd and the Lord of the harvest—Matt. 9:35-38: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. In His ministry for the establishing of His heavenly kingdom, the Lord Jesus ministered as a Shepherd—vv. 35-36. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. If we see the vision of Christ as the Lord of the harvest, we will beseech Him to thrust out workers into His harvest—vv. 37-38. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
J. Christ is the Friend of sinners and the wisdom of God—11:19: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. As the Friend of sinners, Christ sympathizes with their problems and senses their grief—v. 19a. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. Whatever Christ did was done by the wisdom by God, which is Himself; this wisdom was vindicated by His wise works—v. 19b; 1 Cor. 1:24, 30. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
K. Christ is the One who gives rest—Matt. 11:28-30: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. To take the Lord’s yoke is to take the will of the Father and to be constrained by the will of the Father—v. 29; John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. Because the Lord was always satisfied with the Father’s will, He always had rest in His heart; now He asks us to learn from Him—Matt. 11:28-30. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
L. Christ is the greater Jonah—12:39-41; 16:4: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. Jonah is a type of Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection—12:39-41. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. For the evil and adulterous Jewish and religious generation, the Lord Jesus would do nothing but die and be resurrected as the greatest sign to them that they might be saved if they would believe—16:4. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
M. Christ is the bread and crumbs under the table—15:21-38: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. God’s economy is not a matter of outward things but of Christ coming into us as food—vv. 26, 34, 36. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. We need to take in the edible Christ by eating Him as bread, even as the crumbs under the table—v. 27. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
N. Christ in His humanity is the resurrected One with all authority in heaven and on earth—28:18-19: (2000 WT, msg. 3)
1. In His humanity, as the Son of Man and the heavenly King, all authority was given to Christ after His resurrection—v. 18. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
2. Because the Gospel of Matthew is concerned for the kingdom and the kingdom requires authority, in Matthew Christ’s resurrection is a matter of authority for discipling the nations—v. 19. (2000 WT, msg. 3)
II. The Gospel of Matthew is full of the riches of Christ; we need to worship Him, enjoy Him, and experience Him as the wonderful, all-inclusive One—2:11; 28:9, 17; 17:5. (2000 WT, msg. 3)